Indonesian Navy to bring home illegal migrants
Indonesian Navy to bring home illegal migrants
JAKARTA (JP): An Indonesian Navy transportation ship will
depart Malaysia on Tuesday to bring home 1,759 illegal migrants.
The Tanjung Oisina will depart from Pasir Gudang harbor in
Johor Baru, Malaysia, and is scheduled to arrive at Tanjung Perak
harbor in Surabaya, East Java, on May 10. The ship will sail on
to West Nusa Tenggara and dock at Lembar harbor three days later.
The destinations were apparently chosen because more than two-
thirds of those to be repatriated are from the two provinces.
According to a statement from the Indonesian foreign ministry
yesterday, 859 of the illegal migrants hail from East Java, 599
from West Nusa Tenggara, 185 from Central Java, and the rest from
areas including West Java and East Nusa Tenggara.
Malaysian authorities caught the illegal migrants in a recent
immigration sweep aimed at reducing the number of illegal workers
in their country.
The Indonesian foreign ministry in its statement said the two
countries would continue to forge close cooperation in various
fields, including legitimate employment opportunities.
"The two governments would like to see the entry of Indonesian
workers into Malaysia using methods and procedures which are in
accordance with established regulations," the statement said.
It added that opportunities to work in the neighboring country
were still available, especially in the industrial, plantation
and household sectors.
The foreign ministry also said that the Indonesian embassy
faced difficulties in monitoring and protecting the rights of the
illegal workers since they did not register with the embassy.
"The handling of illegal Indonesian migrant workers must be
conducted in a thorough manner which does not affect the long
established and friendly bilateral relations between Indonesia
and Malaysia," the ministry said.
Nearly 800,000 Indonesians are estimated to work legally in
Malaysia. The number of illegal workers is thought to be as high
as 200,000. (mds)